Identity Management Will Get a Mobile Makeover by 2017, Part 2

In the second part of this series, we look at how behavioral awareness and mobile imaging are changing authentication.

The proliferation of mobile devices and people’s dependence on them has brought traditional identity management to a crossroads. As is often the case, current trends can tell us quite a bit about the direction we’re heading and what we should expect moving forward. As mobile becomes the preferred method for various interactions and transactions, the ability to more accurately and securely identify a user will be of utmost importance.

In Part 1 of this series I discussed how facial verification and device awareness will play a role in the next wave of identity management technique. The second part of this discussion will address behavioral awareness and imaging.

Behavioral awareness Most human beings are creatures of habit, and this trait is readily visible in mobile phone usage. We check our emails with regularity. If we use Facebook, we do it consistently. If we deposit our paycheck via mobile deposit, it normally happens after we get home on payday. Most transactions likely occur around our house, at work, or maybe at our favorite watering hole.

Pushing personal privacy issues to the side for a moment (yes, some of this is reminiscent of Big Brother in Orwell’s 1984), it seems clear that consistency of behavioral patterns can be correlated to risk. For example, if I attempt to enroll in a banking service, using my two-year-old contract-based mobile phone, while sitting on my couch, and then take a selfie that matches my scanned license image, using the same phone that I have used to deposit dozens of checks, at the same time of day that I have commonly conducted such requests, then the bank knows it is probably me. I propose that this type of information, in aggregate, builds greater comfort than asking my mother’s maiden name -- a piece of information that can easily be obtained via social media.

Convenience of imaging Over 20 million consumers have deposited checks by snapping a picture. It is now ubiquitous, trusted, and convenient. The convenience of this process can be leveraged for other purposes, and will be adopted readily, since the process is familiar. Mobile imaging can and should be extended as a core technology to facilitate mobile identity, including snapping a picture of a driver’s license, facial recognition (as mentioned above), and capturing images of supporting documentation. In order to drive adoption, banks should leverage the familiarity of mobile imaging as part of their mobile identity plans.

Conclusion Identity management in 2017 will include a number of mobile-centric factors, making it fundamentally different from today. This mobile makeover will include biometrics, device awareness, and behavioral awareness, accelerated by the convenience of mobile imaging.

So, given the length of time needed to research and implement such emerging techniques, rebalance existing identity risk policies, and accelerate adoption by enabling consumer convenience, we should start now. If you are using today’s identity techniques in 2017, the competition will seize the opportunity to take your customers, and competition will come from more than your traditional peers.

Mike is an experienced mobile technology leader. Prior to joining Mitek, Mike was CTO of Green Dot, where he led the strategy architecture and implementation of their reusable mobile platform to serve the underbanked. Mike also served as a director at Neudesic, where he led ... View Full Bio